Snowflakes Intertwined
by MariMarshofArendelle
Summary: The Golden Age of Arendelle is beginning, three months after the Great Thaw. Queen Elsa, her sister, and her friends are happy. But Hans has returned, and this time he's teamed up with a deadly ally. Elsa, Anna, and their friends must work together to save Arendelle from tyranny.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everybody who happened to come upon this fanfic! This is my first fanfic, and I hope you like it!**

**Heads-up: I typed this fanfic up entirely on my iPhone, and then synced it to my email so I could upload it. There may be several spelling and grammar errors- gotta hate autocorrect, right?**

**I hope to write at least three chapters a week. Each chapter is, on average, about 700 words. I'm aiming for about thirty chapters, but with finals coming up so soon, I doubt if I'll have a lot of free time. **

**Anyway, enjoy the story and if review if you have the time. Thanks!**

Chapter 1

Summer in Arendelle

It was late summer in Arendelle- three months after the Great Thaw. Queen Elsa of Arendelle stood at the edge of the balcony and looked out over the courtyard, admiring the stone fountains and the ivy crawling up the courtyard wall. Then she noticed something, or rather someone, and sighed in amused exasperation.

"Gerda," called Elsa, "please run down to the courtyard and tell Princess Anna she is not to walk on top of the courtyard walls."

"Right away, my lady," came the cheerful reply. Gerda hurried out of the room and down the stone steps. She and her husband Kai had served the royal family for years, and they were very close to Elsa and her sister. Since the death of the King and Queen of Arendelle, Gerda had almost become a mother to the two girls.

Meanwhile, down at the courtyard, Princess Anna of Arendelle furrowed her brow in concentration as she made her way across the top of the wall, which was about seven feet off the ground and six inches wide. Her arms spread out, the leather shoes steadily went plop, plop, one in front of the other.

"Anna, come down from there," said her boyfriend Kristoff, watching from below. "When I said I wondered if it was possible to walk on top of there, I didn't mean for you to actually try it!"

"I had to try!" Anna protested as she continued to balance and walk along. "Otherwise I'd just keep thinking about doing it until I went insane!"

Suddenly Gerda opened the courtyard gates and rushed through.

"Princess Anna," she called, "your sister says to come down from there before you hurt yourself. How in all of Arendelle did you get up there in the first place?"

Anna pointed behind her, where a small ladder leaned against the brick wall.

"How will you get down now?" asked Olaf, watching from below as well. The small snowman twiddled his stick thumbs as his 'flurry' snowed on him faithfully.

"Well," replied Anna cheerfully, "I'll either have to turn around, or you can move the ladder over here. "

The ladder was moved below where the Princess of Arendelle stood. Presently, the girl crouched down and descended down the ladder, her reddish-brown braids swaying as she did so.

"There," she said with a chuckle. "I've walked the wall and lived to tell the tale."

Far higher, in the balcony, Queen Elsa smiled and turned back into her study, releasing a few snowflakes from her fingertips. She walked back into her study, sighing at her own mess. Papers cluttered the floor, and candle wax lay in large clumps on her desk. Various writing instruments lay around, some releasing ink onto whatever lay below them.

Something on the floor caught Elsa's eye. She strode over and picked up the wrinkled paper, absentmindedly wiping an ink stain from the front.

Elsa, it read, Come Bild a Snoman with Me Pleze. Below the text, which had obviously been written painstakingly by a young child, there was a crayon drawing of two girls, one with red hair and one with platinum blonde, standing in a snowy landscape. They were smiling and standing next to a freshly built snowman with a carrot nose.

At the bottom of the paper was written From Anna in the same handwriting.

Elsa blinked back tears as she stared at the picture. Frost crept up the paper. For years, it had been one of her few comforts. Five-year-old Anna had slid it under Elsa's door, thirteen years ago. How Elsa had longed to answer!

"How did this get out of my keepsake drawer?" Elsa mused as she rerolled the paper and carefully placed it in its proper place.

"Elsa!" called Anna from outside. "Come join us out here!"

Suddenly jolted from her thoughts, Elsa shut the keepsake drawer and grinned. She left her study and carefully closed the door.

Thirteen years of barely seeing Anna had been long enough. Having queenly duties was no excuse for not spending time with her friends and especially, her sister.

Suddenly feeling much happier, Elsa raced down the castle stairs as fast as her shoes would allow.

"I'm coming!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again, everybody! In this chapter you will meet the villains and their sinister plots. Again, this fanfic takes place three months after Frozen, so if you haven't watched the movie it probably won't be as understandable. **

**Anyway, here's Chapter 2, and feel free to review!**

Chapter 2

A Conspiracy

Late that night, far away from Arendelle, over the seas, a woman pored over an aged map. Her long, manicured fingers traced a path between two islands before coming to rest on a small kingdom: Arendelle.

"Hans, darling," she purred in a smooth, honeyed tone. "Come see this route I have decided upon. "

A man with reddish hair approached and peered over the woman's shoulder. "Raphaela, I thought we had agreed to go around Alephirrian territory before coming to Arendelle. I have some business with the Baron of Alephirria, regarding attack routes, before we reach the final destination. "

The woman, Raphaela, turned and fixed her dark violet eyes upon the man. "But, Hans, you said we need to avoid the Southern Isles as well as we can. If you are caught there again, you will most assuredly be killed! Ever since you were exiled, you have gone out of your way to avoid this place, and yet to come near Alephirria we must sail right by your former home."

"Then I will hide myself, dear," replied Hans promptly. "If our plan to subdue Arendelle is to succeed, it is absolutely essential to visit Alephirria, to pick up the machine, one way or another."

The woman sighed, tossing her dark braid over her shoulder. "I suppose you are right, darling. The machine needs some final adjustments before it will be ready. However, taking my kingdom of Arrestonia into consideration, we do not need any supplies from Alephirria. Alephirria and Arrestonia have not been on the best of terms recently. Not since my cursed older sister traveled over there to secure the Baron's silver mantle, and was chased away by the army. Yes, Lia was always an adventurer, giving up the throne of Arrestonia to go questing to who-knows-where. Fortunately, as the next in line, I have the kingdom to myself. Heaven knows what happened to Lia- I myself haven't seen her since she went off to find the legendary Goblet of Youth, two years ago."

Raphaela erased a few lines from the map and edited the route.

She stood up and faced Hans. "With my expert planning and your extensive experience, taking over Arendelle will be easy. By the time we are finished, Elsa and her bratty little sister Anna will wish they had never been born."

Raphaela smiled a smile that made Hans glad he wasn't Elsa or Anna.

"Together, my dear, we will rule all of Arendelle!"

Hans pulled his fiancé into his arms, smiling at the thought of humbling the ruler of Arendelle. Finally, he was happy. He had found his sole mate in Raphaela - someone who understood his desire for vengeance, and the frustration of having older siblings. Someone who was just as power-hungry as he was. And it didn't hurt that she was pretty, either.

Raphaela pulled away after a moment and rolled up the map, which was still lying on the desk.

"We leave in a fortnight," she told Hans. "I will make arrangements with the captain of the ship we are taking."

"What's the name of the ship?" inquired Hans.

Raphaela smiled. "It's called the Despondency. "

"Perfect," said Hans, his cold green eyes filled with satisfaction. "Elsa and her idiot sister will be very despondent when we're finished with them."

Even now, three months later, his mind filled with hatred at the though of the sisters. Anna, as naïve and unsuspecting as she was, had happily agreed to marry Hans after knowing him for about six hours. She'd had no clue of Hans' real nature until, sure she was going to die of a frozen heart, he had revealed his true intentions to her. Somehow, she had survived and managed to punch him over the side of a ship. Hans' nose was crooked, as it had never properly healed after being punched. And as for Elsa, Hans had been sure she would be easy to take care of. He couldn't have planned the revealing of her powers and her fleeing to the mountains better. Later, he'd brought her back to the Arendellian dungeons, where she had managed to escape and create a blizzard. Hans was just about to kill her when his sword had shattered against something and he was knocked out. The next thing he knew, he was punched by Anna and sent back to the Southern Isles.

Hans seethed at the thought. His face must have betrayed some emotion, for Raphaela took his hand and smiled knowingly.

"Don't think back on the past, Hans dear," she said. "Think of how sorry the queen and the princess are going to be when we get to them."

Hans relaxed. He had a more than two weeks to plot excruciating punishments for his enemies. With Raphaela at his side, he could have his cake, and eat it too.

He smiled. "Sounds good to me."

Hans was still smiling as he climbed into his cot that night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello Readers! I'm glad you've come to read this chapter...which isn't very progressive to the plot but plays an important part later on. (I have the outline for this story planned out already!)**

**Anyway, enjoy and please review if you can!**

Chapter 3

Birthday Wishes

Two weeks after this conversation, Princess Anna leapt out of bed. She slipped into a light blue satin dress that just matched her eyes. After brushing her long reddish hair and braiding it into two long braids, she tied the ends with blue ribbon and ran down to breakfast. Anna had good reason to be happy- today was her nineteenth birthday!

After peering down the stairs to make sure no servants were watching, Anna sat down on the top of the banister and slid down all the way, whooping with pleasure.

After reaching the bottom of the steps, she ran all the way to the dining room. There, Elsa sat at the head of the table, wearing a simple gown and a crown on top of her head. She was also wearing blue drop earrings, which was unusual, as Elsa wasn't one for much jewelry.

"Morning, Anna," said Elsa cheerfully. "Happy birthday!"

Olaf waddled into the dining hall, grinning broadly. "Happy birthday, Anna," he exclaimed. "How 'bout a warm hug?"

Anna laughed and bent down to hug her snowman friend. He was as Olaf-y as ever, with his perpetual grin and faithful flurry above him, snowing constantly.

"Oh!" exclaimed Olaf. "Just a moment, Anna! I have a present for you."

Before Anna could respond, the snowman had disappeared. She glanced at Elsa, who shrugged.

A moment later Olaf returned, holding something behind his back.

"Close your eyes," instructed Olaf. Anna did so, hearing the rustle of paper before her.

"You can look now!" exclaimed Olaf gleefully, jumping up and down.

Anna opened her eyes, then squinted in confusion. On the floor before her was a strip of brown paper about two inches thick. It was about three feet long, and each end was cut into the shape of Olaf's three fingers.

"It's...beautiful, Olaf, but what is it?" asked Anna.

Olaf blinked. "I explained it to Kristoff, and he laughed and said it was perfect. See, Anna? It's a paper hug. You wrap it around you and hold tight. That way, you can always have a warm hug, even when I'm not around!"

Anna laughed, suddenly understanding the present. "Thanks, Olaf. It's perfect!"

Olaf grinned and sat down next to Elsa.

Over the next half hour, several courtiers came to the breakfast table. Kristoff arrived, after taking care of Sven, his reindeer, for the morning. Kai and Gerda brought in platters of breakfast food, and everyone ate.

There was pancakes and bacon and French toast and waffles and eggs and cheese and cider and milk and syrup and, by special request, chocolate.

Anna filled her plate with everything there was to eat and after finishing all that, ate handfuls of the chocolate candy. Elsa, being the quiet, reserved Queen she was, helped herself to a few pancakes, some eggs, and a few pieces of chocolate, being sure to cut everything properly and take bite-sized mouthfuls.

Breakfast was over all too soon. The courtiers left, but not before wishing Anna a happy birthday and giving her various packages.

As the servants cleared the breakfast dishes, Anna opened her gifts. There were several items of clothing and jewelry, not to mention books and needlework kits.

After making a list of who to write thank-you notes to, Anna went outside with Elsa and Kristoff.

"Well," Elsa said, "what would you like to do today?"

Anna didn't have to think hard to answer. "Could you make another ice rink outside? I'd like to finish learning how to skate."

Elsa laughed. "That's it?" She walked to the center of the courtyard and stamped her foot down, creating perfect ice for skating all around.

After creating literal ice skates for everyone, Olaf joined the group with Sven in tow. The five of them spent the morning and most of the afternoon on the ice, with much laughter and fun.

At the end of the day, Anna and her friends came inside for the birthday dinner, where the citizens of Arendelle were permitted for this special event.

The evening flew by quickly. After the party, Anna had so many gifts she was sure it would take all the next day to write thank-you notes.

Late that night, after wishing goodnight to Kristoff and Sven, Anna hugged Elsa goodnight.

"Happy birthday, Anna," said Elsa. "Here, I saved your present until last."

Elsa drew out a beautiful crystal snowflake, about as big as Anna's hand. It was exquisitely detailed and sparkled like the sun on fresh snow.

"Oh, Elsa!" exclaimed Anna. "It's beautiful!"

Elsa smiled. "Well, I'd better get to bed. Happy birthday, Anna."

She hugged Anna again and then left for her bedroom.

Anna hung the crystal snowflake above her window, where the sun would catch it. It hung across from the bookshelf, upon which was a little wooden reindeer statue (her present from Kristoff) and Olaf's paper hug.

Anna smiled, thinking of her friends and her sister, and then fell asleep. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi again everybody! This chapter is shorter than I would have liked it to be, but I couldn't think of anything else to put in it. Anyway, sorry that I didn't post yesterday...was a little busy studying!**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 4

A Discussion

It was a fortnight after Raphaela's making of plans. Hans stood at the Despondency's stern as it sailed, looking out over the blue water. Queen Raphaela of Arrestonia stood behind him, her dark hair plaited at the top of her head. She was wearing a dark violet gown, which matched her eyes perfectly.

Hans remembered the day before- when Queen Raphaela had stood before her subjects, the people of Arrestonia.

"My people," she had enunciated, "after much indecision and commitment, I have decided to go after my sister Lia. She might have perished, as we all know well; however, I feel that I shall not be able to rest until I know her location, or at least her fate."

This was, of course, pure baloney. Raphaela had waited as her subjects murmured in surprise, below her. Then she had completed her speech.

"I am already packed and have a ship ready. I leave in charge my young cousin Zachary for as long as I might be gone. I plan to be back in two months, if not sooner, depending on how quickly I may find what I seek."

Having said this, she had turned and walked down the docks with Hans. Zachary, who had been spoken with in advance, had already been prepared for kingship.

Hans, his mind back on the present, went around the ship's rail, pondering their route. Raphaela had made a line from her kingdom of Arrestonia around Weselton, through the fjords, around the Southern Isles, a short stop at Alephirria, and then Arendelle. The whole journey would take about a week.

Raphaela spoke up. "Our subduing of Arendelle will require trickery. You will be recognized quite easily, unless you are in disguise. Fortunately," here she paused and beckoned to a servant standing behind her, "I have thought ahead."

Hans raised an eyebrow.

Raphaela was more than happy to explain. " You'll stay aboard the ship until our plan needs go into effect. I will take care of the rest."

Hans thought for a moment. "How are you going to do that?"

Raphaela smiled. "I'm going to pretend to be a servant, to see if i can hear anything if interest inside the castle gates. I'll call myself Liesel."

"Clever," remarked the former prince. "How long till the plan goes into effect?"

"Oh, just long enough for me to figure out the basic defenses of the castle," replied Raphaela. "Then we can stop the subtlety and let Arendelle know who's boss. Also," she said, "I have something you can work on while I'm gone. You must stay OUT OF SIGHT, or the plan will not work."

Raphaela leaned over and whispered something into Hans' ear.

Hans began to smile, cold light in his green eyes. "That will be my pleasure, darling."

The captain called for Raphaela, who hurried away. "Remember," she called over her shoulder. "We arrive at Arendelle in four to six days."

Hans waited, alone at the stern.

Suddenly noticing a calendar nailed to the mast, he stepped over to consult it. He looked at the date with surprise- it was the day Anna had once said was her birthday.

Hans shrugged. "Have a happy birthday," he muttered. "I hope you fall and break all your bones."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi Readers! Here's the next chapter, from Olaf's POV! This chapter was interesting to write...Olaf is awesome and cute, but a bit scatterbrained. XD**

**Anyway, enjoy and don't forget to review!**

Chapter 5

Arrival of the Despondency

It was five days after Anna's birthday, and life in Arendelle had returned to normal. The morning sun crept up over the horizon, signaling the Arendellians (Arendellites, Citizens of Arendelle, whatever) that the day was beginning.

Olaf the Snowman, who never really slept, had learned the hard way not to bother people during the night. One time, at half past three in the night, he'd gotten lonely for some company and wandered around Arendelle, yelling "ANYONE NEED A WARM HUG?" at the top of his lungs until he nearly resembled a pancake from all the shoes and frying pans that people threw at him from their windows.

Olaf had grown accustomed to staying in his own guest bedroom all night, with various activities to keep him company. Anna had once given him a book of plays, and he had spent many a night pretending to be different actors from the scenes.

Olaf opened the door to his bedroom and ran down the hall to the dining room. After greeting Elsa, who was always up early too, Olaf went outside to the courtyard.

The morning chill didn't bother Olaf at all; in face, it was quite the contrary. Even though his flurry always snowed on him and regulated the temperature, around him, he liked the cold.

There was something dark against the horizon on the water. Olaf squinted, unable to make out what it was.

Running as fast as his snow feet would carry him, Olaf began running towards the docks.

Before long, he had reached the pier. Squinting, Olaf saw a ship looming in the distance. There were letters painted on the side, spelling D-E-S-P- and several other letters Olaf couldn't make out.

As the snowman watched, he made certain not to fall in the water. His flurry wouldn't be able to help him then, if he fell in!

The ship drew up the shore. A gangplank was lowered, and a slender figure stepped out of the ship, silhouetted against the morning light.

Olaf squinted. It was a woman. Strange, he thought. Even though the little snowman was not very experienced and a bit naïve, even he knew it was unusual for a ship to come into the harbor this early in the morning. It couldn't have been any later than six o'clock!

As Olaf watched, the woman slung a bag over her shoulder and stepped off the gangplank onto the dock. She began walking towards the palace.

As she came out of the ship's shadow, Olaf could see she had on a plain green dress, and her dark hair was tied back in a simple servant's bun.

Olaf watched her walk towards the castle gates for a while, and then he turned his attention back to the huge ship, curious as to what its whole name was.

DESP, he made out, and then ONDENCY.

"Despondency," Olaf said out loud. Then, remembering the others at the palace would be up soon, the snowman ran up to the gates, after the strange woman. He looked back a moment later- the huge ship was fading into the horizon again, sailing away from the coast.

Olaf ran back towards the gates. The woman was standing there, her bag slung over her shoulder.

"Hello!" Olaf said. "I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!"

The woman turned.

"Olaf," she said. "Yes, I've heard about you, Olaf. From one of my comrades."

She had on a dark violet belt, which was the exact color of her eyes. Yes, her eyes. Almost hypnotic. Olaf had never seen purple eyes before. He thought this woman's eyes were pretty, but also hard and calculating, like she was trying to read his thoughts. She also had on light blue eyeshadow, which contrasted her peculiar eyes all the more.

"What's your name?" persisted Olaf.

The woman cleared her throat. "Raph— I mean Liesel."

"Hello then, Raphimeanliesel," said Olaf. "What are you doing here so early in the morning?"

"Just Liesel," said the woman, looking a bit uncomfortable. "And I'm here looking for a job in the castle somewhere. "

"That's easy, Justliesel," remarked Olaf. "I'm sure Elsa will give you a job somewhere."

"My name is Liesel, just Liesel!" said the woman, looking annoyed now.

Olaf looked confused. "You just said your name was...oh, well. Anyway, Lieseljustliesel, we have..."

As the snowman droned on, the woman put her face in her hands.

Princess Anna, who had overheard the whole thing from her open bedroom window, high above, resisted the urge to laugh.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, readers! This next chapter was tricky, for some reason... it keeps switching POVs. Sorry if Elsa seems a bit OOC in this chapter. I think it's a bit hard when dealing with multiple characters at once.**

**Anyhow, read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 6

Liesel

Elsa leaned back in her cushioned chair. Anna had just woken and joined her at the table, and Gerda was bringing breakfast dishes out to the table.

Elsa was just about to bite into a piece of toast when Olaf burst into the dining hall, dragging with him a young dark-haired lady, who looked mortified.

"Olaf," Elsa said, trying hard not to laugh, "what are you doing?"

The snowman didn't miss a beat. "This is Lieseljustliesel. I went outside this morning, and saw a ship, see, and..."

The woman quickly took over. "My name is Liesel, Your Majesty. I have come seeking employment."

Elsa studied Liesel closely. She had peculiar violet eyes and dark brown hair drawn into a simple bun. Her dress was plain green cotton. Only her belt, which was rich purple and studded with jewels, betrayed any sign of her status.

"I have been short a laundress for quite a while," Elsa remarked. "Are you any good in that sort of area?"

Liesel nodded emphatically. "Definitely, Your Majesty. I have often done laundry before."

This was, also, pure baloney. Liesel no more did laundry than she laid eggs. She was the queen of Arrestonia, after all; however, no one present knew she was telling falsehoods except for Liesel (or rather, Raphaela) herself.

The queen nodded. "You may start work tomorrow. I will pay you eighty francs a week. And I will keep an eye on you for the next few weeks you work here- not that I distrust you, but as a safety measure- new servants are required by law to be watched in their first month."

Liesel nodded knowingly. "I understand, Your Majesty. Thank you for hiring me."

She turned around to leave, but the queen stopped her.

"Wait, Liesel," said Elsa, her brow furrowed, "you need somewhere to stay. Are you from Arendelle, or elsewhere?"

Liesel replied, "Arendelle, Your Majesty. I live in the outskirts of the city."

"There was a ship," Olaf interjected. "You came off of it."

Liesel nodded. "Early this morning, a oship pulled up to the dock. I don't remember her name-"

"The Derogatory," Olaf said.

Liesel nodded, secretly grateful for the snowman's mistake. "Yes, it might have been that. Anyhow, this ship pulled up to the dock, at around six this morning, and someone shouted down there were tradable goods on it. I grabbed some of my money, which I've been saving up for quite a while, and climbed aboard. There I traded for this belt," she unclasped the object in question and held it out, "and left the ship, which sailed away almost instantly. As I was leaving, I remembered my goal to find a job and support my family. What better place than the palace?"

Queen Elsa looked closely at the belt. It was purple with jewels, as she'd noticed before, but something else caught her eye - in the center of the belt was a round daisy head sprouting from a stone: the symbol of Arrestonia.

There was something fishy going on with Liesel. Elsa had met almost all of her subjects, and had never seen Liesel before. Also, why would a trading ship come so early in the morning, and leave after one customer?

Elsa shook these thoughts out of her head. She would have Kai and Gerda keep a close watch on this Liesel for a while. Until than, she would enjoy having another laundress.

"Have some breakfast with us, then," Elsa said, motioning to an empty chair. "I'll have Gerda prepare and empty servant's room for you. I'll have the laundress show you what to do today, and you can start supervised work tomorrow."

Raphaela sat down in the chair and smiled. Perfect.


	7. Chapter 7

**All right, here it is: Raphaela's first day of work in the palace. Enjoy the chapter and please keep reviewing! Thank you!**

Chapter 7

A New Job

"Good night, Miss Liesel," Gerda said, shutting the bedroom door. "I'm glad your orientation went well today. If you need anything or an emergency is present, ring the bell by the door."

Raphaela thanked her, and after the door was shut, began examining her new quarters.

There was a fluffy bed in the corner of the room. A closet with extra sheets and pillows stood adjacent to the door, and a wardrobe supplied every item of clothing she could possibly need. Dressers and bureau drawers lined the wall.

The woman changed into some linen pajamas before slipping inside the silk sheets of the bed. She finally fell asleep, thinking about Hans and the throne they would share.

* * *

Far across the water, just out of sight of Arendelle's coast, the Despondency floated above the dark waters of the night. Inside his cabin, the former Prince Hans pored over the paper Raphaela had given him before she had left that morning.

"Capture the snowman when I give the word," it read. "I will most likely be under supervision if I get a job at the palace. I will come to the port at one o'clock at night in two days. Bring the Despondency quietly. Then we can go over the rest of the plan."

Hans smiled, and rerolled the parchment. This was going to be fun.

* * *

Raphaela woke the next morning, at first unsure where she was. Then she remembered the previous day's events, and smiled.

She then remembered all of the laundry she was going to do, and frowned.

Then she remembered the purpose for being a laundress, and smiled.

Raphaela jumped out of bed and changed into an orange tunic with an aquamarine sash. She brushed and braided her long dark hair, and looked at herself in the mirror.

Raphaela laughed at her own appearance. The orange and blue of her outfit clashed horribly with her eyes and complexion, but Liesel wouldn't be concerned about fashion, she reminded herself.

Opening the door, she hurried to the dining hall, where the queen and princess were sitting already. The servant's table was off to the side, and Raphaela went to sit down by the pretty, red-cheeked maiden named Eilaria, who was the only castle laundress. She hadn't given Raphaela the orientation the previous day; Gerda had.

Upon seeing Raphaela, Eilaria jumped slightly. Her face betrayed no emotions except one: shock.

Raphaela studied Eilaria for a moment. There was something eerily familiar about her, something in the back of Raphaela's mind that she couldn't quite reach.

Eventually the two got over their mutual surprise and ate their morning meal. Afterwards, Raphaela followed Eilaria down the hall to the washroom. Kai followed them.

Two hours later, with her arms and dress soaked in soapy water and her hands red and raw from scrubbing clothes, Raphaela had to breathe deep and remind herself why she, the Queen of Arrestonia, was doing the laundry by hand.

Finally, Eilaria gave Raphaela leave from scrubbing and handed her a pile of clothes.

"Liesel, take these clothes to the Head Seamstress's room. She wanted to make some adjustments to them."

Glancing back to make sure Kai was not following her, Raphaela took the pile and left.

"Finally," she said to herself, "some privacy, and free leave to wander around the castle! If anyone wonders, I'll ask them where the Head Seamstress's room is."

Clutching the pile of clothes, the girl crept around the pillars of the room, sliding to the side at the sound of footsteps and voices. Raphaela was not stupid, for all her nineteen years; she had done more than her fair share of snooping in her youth.

"First, the armory," she muttered, flattening herself against the wall.

After a bit of searching, Raphaela found the armory. Creaking the door open, she took careful note of everything in it before closing it up again.

The woman went around the sides of the castle to the front, and noted the position of the gates and how they might be opened. She was about to turn and go ło the back gates, when she noticed Gerda watching her from a distance.

Raphaela gulped. How long had she been watching? Nevertheless, she ran towards the woman.

"Excuse me," said Raphaela, panting and still clutching the laundry, "can you tell me where the Head Seamstress's room is?"

"Well, you definitely won't find it out here, Liesel," remarked Gerda, looking puzzled. "It's up on the top floor. When you step off the stairs, take two lefts and a right and it'll be the third door on the left. Now, mind you–"

Raphaela, shouting over her shoulder a hurried thanks, was already sprinting towards the castle.

Once she was sure she was out of Gerda's sight, Raphaela turned around and made a careful examination of the back gate. Only then did she take the stairs up to the Head Seamstress's room.

Back at the laundry room, Eilaria asked what could have caused her to have taken two hours to deliver the laundry.

"I got lost," replied Raphaela nonchalantly. And that was that.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello Readers! Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter posted... finals will be over soon! This is the longest chapter yet...woohoo! In this chapter, Olaf is...well, read to find out. Will Raphaela and Hans get their throne? Again, read to find out.**

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review!**

Chapter 8

The Disappearance of Olaf

Two days later, Raphaela crept out of the palace and stole silently to the docks by the light of the moon.

The Despondency floated at the docks, sails snapping in the night breeze .

Raphaela climbed inside the ship's hold. Hans was waiting for her there, dressed in a heavy overcoat despite the warm night.

"Plan on?" he inquired.

"Indeed," replied Raphaela. "Tomorrow morning, be on the lookout. Don't bring the ship."

"Will do," replied Hans, listening intently as Raphaela began to describe the security breaches she had found.

"So stay close to the coast," Raphaela advised. "And keep a lookout for the snowman. Remember what I told you about the gates, and keep your disguise on at all times."

After wishing Hans a good night, she stole silently out of the Despondency and back to the castle.

The morning dawned clear and bright. Olaf hopped out of his bedroom and down the hallway, taking care to avoid the servants' wash-bucket leaning against the wall.

Olaf waddled down to the dining hall, meeting Elsa and Anna. To his surprise, no one else was there.

"Where are all the servants?" he inquired.

Elsa smiled at him. "Today is a servants' day off. They're all somewhere in the city."

"Ohhhhh," Olaf said. "That explains it."

As he was leaving the gates to go play with the children of Arendelle, he bumped into Liesel.

"Hello, Olaf," said the laundress. "How are you today?"

Olaf nodded in what he hoped was a sophisticated way. "Fine, thank you."

"Good," said Liesel. "Say, Olaf, did you know there's a surprise for you at the second dock today?"

"A surprise?" exclaimed the snowman. "I love surprises!"

Liesel smiled. "It's by the hedge. Wait there and you can't miss it."

"Wow!" exclaimed Olaf. "Thanks, Liesel!"

He started off towards the second dock, his stubby legs pumping as fast as they could.

Before long, the snowman was at the second dock, standing in front of the hedge. Hearing a rustling noise in the brambles nearby, he cocked his head.

"Who's there?" he called. "Do you need a warm hug?"

Before Olaf knew what was happening, a hand shot out of the hedge, grabbed his head, and yanked him inside. Then he was stuffed in a brown burlap sack.

"Hey," Olaf yelled. "What are you doing? If you need a warm-"

"Listen, buddy," came a rough, familiar voice, "shut up or I'll make you shut up. There's a whole lot of water around here, you know."

Olaf gulped. Had Liesel tricked him? Wait a second. He knew that voice!

"Hans?" he guessed tentatively.

"You heard me," growled Hans. "Be quiet or I'll make you."

A moment later, a man in a dark–brown hooded cloak slipped out from behind the bushes and continued on his way towards the shoreline, the brown bag over his shoulder.

The outline of a ship appeared in the morning mist. Hans walked with a limp, which was part of his disguise. Before long, he had boarded the Despondency, and with Olaf still in tow, sailed out of sight.

Nearby, behind the bushes, a little girl stood with her mouth open. She had just seen a talking snowman get kidnapped and taken away.

Shaking her head in confusion, the little girl clutched her money and continued towards the marketplace.

* * *

Many hours later, Queen Elsa, dressed in a formal blue gown, wrinkled her brow in puzzlement.

"Have you seen Olaf lately?" she asked Anna, who was standing beside her. "I haven't seen him since breakfast."

"I haven't, either," replied the princess, equally confused. "He's probably out playing with the village children."

"I suppose so," said Elsa, but something didn't feel right. Olaf always showed up at mealtime, despite the fact he couldn't eat anything. Lunch had passed two hours ago, and there was still no sign of their snowman friend.

* * *

A few miles away, off the coast of Arendelle, the snowman in question waited in the sack for something to happen. He had been inside the sack for several hours by now, he guessed. Despite his flurry, which was still snowing on him, it was getting uncomfortably warm in the bag.

"Hey!" he yelled. "Aren't you going to let me out of here?"

Hans grunted, from where he was sitting. "I'd forgotten about you, snowman. Here, enjoy this instead."

Olaf fought in protest as his captor dumped him out of the sack into a large wooden chest. For the first time, he realized one of his arms was missing. It must have fallen off when Hans grabbed him.

"Keep quiet for your own good," called Hans from outside. "We're on a boat."

Olaf hunched up in the corner of the chest, a tear trickling from the corner of his eye. He had never cried before; after all, he had never been very sad before. In fact, right up to that moment, he'd had no idea that he could cry. The only time he could think of being sad was when Anna had frozen into an ice statue. After all, he was a happy snowman.

"Not anymore," he said to himself, rather unhappily, bouncing back and forth as the ship rolled on the waves.

And many miles away, leaning against a post, Raphaela smiled in satisfaction, happy with the knowledge that all was going according to plan.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello everybody! In this chapter, a mystery becomes prevalent. The villains gain some ground.**

**I've typed this one up on my laptop. Unfortunately, my two-year-old nephew popped off the space bar during a visit...and so in order to type a space I have to deliberately press the little nub in the center of where the space bar used to be...oh well.**

**Also, I'd like to apologize in advance. I would like to put more Kristanna in this fanfic, but I'm a really bad romance writer. Just so you know. XD**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 9

Strange Happenings

Later that same day, after the evening meal, Anna opened the stable door and approached Sven, her reindeer friend. Her hand fumbled in her pocket for a moment, then she brought out a large carrot for him.

"Here you are, Sven," she said, watching his eyes light up.

Sven whinnied in gratitude before taking the carrot and biting into it.

Kristoff, who was standing on the other side of the reindeer, chuckled lightly.

"There you go, buddy," he said. "Can't get enough carrots, can–"

He broke off. Someone was calling.

"Anna!" It was Elsa. "Could you come here for a moment?"

"You'd better go, Anna," said Kristoff. "It sounds like something's wrong."

"All right," said Anna, hurrying out of the stables. "I'll be back."

A moment later, she returned, looking anxious.

"Elsa can't find Olaf anywhere," Anna reported. "He's been missing since breakfast this morning."

Kristoff knit his eyebrows. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen him all day either. Usually I assume he's off playing with the city children, but I didn't see him at all when I was off buying more carrots."

"That's not the only thing," said Anna darkly. "Come with me."

Kristoff followed his girlfriend out of the stables. Anna led him to Elsa's main chambers, where the young queen sat in a plush chair, looking distraught.

"Oh, there you are," Elsa said, hearing the pair approach. "Someone has stolen my crown!

"It was on the chair a moment ago," fretted Elsa, "where I had put it when I'd went to the kitchens for a moment. When I came back, it wasn't there. Someone stole it. It didn't just 'get lost somewhere' ".

"Calm down, Queen Elsa, please," said Kristoff. "Who would have come into your private chambers?"

"Call me Elsa, please," said the queen. "Today is the servants' day off, and no one has been around the castle much. It could have been any servant who came in and took it while I was away."

"An ideal time, too," put in Anna. "None of the other servants were around to see."

Elsa furrowed her brow. "True. My crown- true, I don't think it's very comfortable- is valuable. It's made of silver with lapis lazuli stones embedded in it. A pretty penny."

"Yes,"said Kristoff, but what's important right now is who took it. Any names prevalent?"

The Queen of Arendelle shook her head thoughtfully.

"Well," she said, "I hired a new servant this week who was of unknown ancestry. She claimed she was from Arendelle, but she was wearing a belt of Arrestonian origin. She claimed she'd bought it off a trading ship."

"What's her name again?" asked Anna. "Was it Liesel?"

Elsa nodded. "That's the one. I've had Kai keep an eye on her, but I have my suspicions."

"Wait," Kristoff put in. "Is she the one with the purple eyes and terrible fashion sense? 'Cause if that's her, I saw her at the farmer's market today, fighting over the price of some trinket with the vendor. He didn't want to haggle."

"That's not the most flattering description of Liesel," Anna said, shooting a mock stern expression at her boyfriend. "However, I do agree with you- she's not so proficient in the fashion department. Anyways, you saw her earlier? About what time?"

The ice harvester shrugged. "I don't know- maybe a few hours after the midday meal? What time did you notice your crown was missing, Elsa?"

"Just before I called you in," Elsa replied. "Maybe fifteen, twenty minutes ago?"

"The thief can't be too far away, then," concluded Anna. "We'll find who took it, Elsa."

* * *

Raphaela, back in her bedroom, pulled the crown out of her pocket and examined it. It was made of a silvery metal, and studded with blue stones. The crown was also very shiny.

The woman shrugged and wrapped the delicate item in a bundle of cloth. She thrust it under her mattress.

Raphaela smirked, imagining her next theft. Part two of the plan? Cause havoc.

Mission accomplished.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi again...here's Chapter 10! I'm 33.33% done! (Remember, I'm shooting for a 30-chapter fanfic here.)**

**In this chapter, our heroes gain some clues. Olaf's disappearance is partially resolved. Lots of switching POVs here.**

**All right...enjoy!**

Chapter 10

Suspicions

Elsa slung herself out of bed the next morning, feeling mildly depressed. For one thing, Olaf was still nowhere to be seen. For another, her crown was still missing in action. On top of all that, the Baron of Alephirria was coming to Arendelle that afternoon to discuss trade routes with her, and Elsa was not feeling anywhere up to the task. Nevertheless, she prepared herself for the day.

After she had brushed and tied back her long, platinum-blonde hair, Elsa put on a formal blue outfit. She walked down the stairs, more slowly than usual. Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

The morning air was crisp and clear as Kristoff led Sven through Arendelle's gates. Today was another work day for him; so he took a detour through the city so he could pick up his sleigh on the way out.

As they traveled towards the outskirts of Arendelle, Kristoff stepped on a small twig. Normally, he wouldn't have noticed, but this twig didn't snap. It had a surprisingly flexible demeanor, and he stooped to pick it up.

Sven whinnied and sniffed at the twig, and then Kristoff realized what it was. The twig was one of Olaf's arms!

Kristoff sighed and turned back towards the palace. The queen needed to know about this.

* * *

Elsa was sitting in the throne room when Kristoff burst through the door, huffing and puffing.

"Kristoff, what in the-" Elsa began, but the ice harvester simply held out a twig.

Elsa leaned forward, a quizzical expression on her face. Taking the twig, she examined it. A moment later, her eyes widened as it dawned on her.

"Where did you find this?" the Queen asked, worry etched in her face.

Kristoff soon found himself explaining everything. Anna entered the throne room as well, and she seemed just as upset.

"What could have happened to him?" she asked, nearly in tears. "He couldn't have fallen in the water. It's as if he just disappeared."

"Olaf is very attached to his arms. No pun intended," Kristoff objected. "He wouldn't just leave somewhere without an arm. It's almost as if someone took him- and he put up a fight."

Within the hour a royal notification was posted throughout Arendelle. Olaf the Snowman was missing, and anyone who had any information about him was to report to the Queen.

* * *

Raphaela, scrubbing laundry after the midday meal, was rather put down. She had listened outside the door as the queen had discussed Olaf's disappearance with Anna and Kristoff. It seemed that she had underestimated the queen- it had hardly been a day since Olaf had been seized, and there were already posters out. On top of all that, they had the idea that he'd been kidnapped. The very idea! They had guessed too much.

Noticing some movement outside of the window, Raphaela looked outside. Far away, she could see the outlines of three ships sailing up to the coast. They were from Alephirria, she was certain, because she had been there many times before.

It had been scarcely a week since Raphaela had come to Arendelle, and nearly a month since she had first made the conquest route with Hans. Raphaela remembered how, on their way to Arendelle, they had stopped at Alephirria to make some adjustments to a certain machine.

"Why do you even want this?" the Baron had asked. "I can't guarantee it'll work, and even if it does, it could be potentially dangerous to the person or thing you use it on and the person or thing you transfer to."

Raphaela had shaken her head, vying for both herself and Hans, who was standing beside her.

"Don't worry about that, my dear Baron," she'd said. "We would never use it on a person."

That was a lie. The machine was intended for one person in particular.

Queen Elsa, to be exact.

But the Baron need not know. He would never have helped them to build the machine had he known it was intended for Queen Elsa of Arendelle, one of his closest partners in trade and allies. However, he obviously had no suspicions, as he finished the machine with them.

Raphaela had thanked the Baron as they had boarded the Despondency again, taking the machine along.

"Liesel, please finish the laundry in there," Eilaria called. "There's another load that needs folded when you're done."

Jolted back to reality, Raphaela turned her mind back to the laundry.

* * *

"The ships are here, Queen Elsa," called Kai, from the window of the throne room. "The Baron of Alephirria will be entering shortly."

Elsa sat up a little straighter, and reached up to straighten her crown. Then she remembered that it was missing.

Elsa sighed. "Bring the Alephirrians on," she said to herself. "Let's get this over with."


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello again! Today, I realized that I haven't been using disclaimers in any of the previous chapters. So here goes:**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of or having to do with Frozen. Not even a snowflake. *sniff**

**There we go. All nice and official. Anyway, this chapter is twice as long as I usually make the chapters- from this point on they will gradually get longer, I think. I am very pleased with how this chapter turned out- very intense towards the end. The villainess is in trouble here...**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 11

A Royal Visit

Princess Anna sighed, sitting up a bit straighter in her throne. Elsa had made it clear to her that when the Baron came, early that afternoon, she was to sit like a princess.

"You're the Princess of Arendelle, after all," Elsa had told her. "You're a representative of our city."

Anna did not want to sit like a princess during the whole boring discussion. Her dress was too tight around the middle, and the fancy hairstyle she had been required to wear was not comfortable in the least. She doubted that Elsa was comfortable either. Being the queen couldn't be easy. However, Anna would still have rather been out exploring the market, or going to the North Mountain to cut ice with Kristoff and Sven.

The throne room doors flew open. A redheaded herald stood in the doorway, unfurling a large scroll.

"Your Majesties," he said, bowing slightly. "May I present the Baron of Alephirria!"

Followed by several courtiers, the Baron strutted into the throne room. He was a short and wiry person. His clothes were very embellished with golden threads, and his greased black mustache stuck straight out to the sides.

Before long, he had struck up a conversation with Elsa, who was obviously doing her best not to yawn.

"Anyways, Your Majesty," the Baron continued, "I have recently made a peace treaty with Arrestonia."

Elsa perked up and listened more closely. Anna, who had also noticed Arrestonia's symbol on Liesel's belt, paid closer attention also. This could be the key to solving the mystery of Olaf's disappearance.

"Go on," said Elsa.

The Baron smiled, pleased with her interest. "My pleasure, Queen Elsa. A little over two weeks ago, Queen Raphaela of Arrestonia and one of her friends, whose name I don't remember, came to my palace to discuss a business proposition. I helped them to build a certain contraption, and in return, they promised to help me in time of war."

"Arrestonia..." muttered Elsa. "What did the Queen look like, my dear Baron?"

* * *

Raphaela, at the moment rinsing soap out of recently dyed clothing, absentmindedly peered out of the narrow window.

"Why are Alephirrian ships here?" she asked Eilaria, who was itchingly more familiar-looking every day. The woman was just out of reach of Raphaela's memory.

The laundress looked up in surprise. "Didn't you know? The Baron of Alephirria has come to Arendelle to discuss trade options with Queen Elsa."

Raphaela paled. She hadn't counted on that.

"You don't look very well, my si– I mean, Liesel," said Eilaria. "Why don't you go lie down? It's nearly three o'clock already."

This was just what Raphaela wanted. She fake-hobbled out of the room, fake-coughing the whole time.

As soon as she was out of sight of the laundry room, Raphaela ran down to the throne room. A guard stood in front of the door.

Raphaela frowned. This was not what she wanted. Suddenly thinking of a way, she slunk around the guard and came to the east wall of the throne room. There the wall was thinnest, so she put her ear against the wall and listened intently. She could easily hear snippets of conversation.

"…and, well…" It was the Baron. "…um, I think maybe tall, with strange eyes? A peculiar color, I know."

"Purple?" This time it was Princess Anna.

"Yes, that might have been it," the Baron said. "Anyhow, she was with a man whose nose was crooked, like it had been broken before."

Raphaela started. This was unpleasantly familiar to her.

"And the machine, Your Majesty?" pressed Elsa. "What about the contraption you helped her to build?"

The Baron did not reply for a second.

"What interest is that to you, Elsa?" he asked. "Have you any alliances with Arrestonia?"

"No," replied Elsa. "I have not had a lot of communication with Arrestonia. In fact, until today, I was not aware that Queen Raphaela was the queen. The last I heard, the queen's name was Lia."

"Ah, but that was two years ago, Your Highness," said the Baron. "Lia disappeared, how, I don't know, but her younger sister Raphaela took the throne of Arrestonia."

Raphaela had heard enough. Her cover was practically blown. Removing her ear from the wall, she turned to go to her quarters.

Once she was safely in her room, she pulled the crown from under her mattress and mostly unwrapped it.

Someone knocked on the door. Raphaela jumped and dropped the crown, which rolled under the bed.

"Who is it?" she called, in her best I-feel-sick voice.

"It's me, Liesel," called Gerda's voice from outside the door. I've brought you some tea, since Eilaria told me you weren't feeling well."

Raphaela stood up and opened the door. She took the tea tray from Gerda, thanked her, and promptly shut the door again.

Gerda, standing just outside the door, placed her hand over her chest in surprise. She had seen something shiny just in sight from where she'd stood. Something that was unmistakably the missing crown.

Inside her room, Raphaela stood holding the tea tray, shaken to her very core. The surprise on Gerda's face was plain- she had seen the queen's crown. Raphaela mentally cursed herself again and again for being so thoughtless.

She would have to escape, taking whatever belongings were necessary. If Elsa didn't know who she was already, she surely would shortly. Gerda would tell her about the crown, and she was recognized by the Baron.

Gathering her belongings into a pile, Raphaela frantically began mumbling.

"Hans…must be furious with me…must get back to Hans…then we will be safe…sail back to Arrestonia…cover blown…wait, no way are we sailing back to Arrestonia! We still have more than a month before we're due back there...can still conquer…"

It was about five by now, she guessed. She must leave before evening meal, or surely she would be confronted there.

Slinging her knapsack of belongings over her shoulder, Raphaela glanced back at the crown, still under her bed. She picked it up and stuffed it in the knapsack. If she wasn't going to get away with the servant cover, she might as well keep the crown. Elsa could surely acquire another.

Opening the door slightly, she peered out to make sure no one was watching. The coast was clear, so she slipped out, shutting the door behind her.

As Raphaela crept down the hall, the torch on the wall sputtered out. A figure stepped from the shadows.

It was Eilaria.

"You're not going anywhere, Liesel," said the tall maiden, her stormy gray eyes seeming to bore a hole through her. "Or should I say, Raphaela?"

Raphaela stepped back in shock.

"Who are you, Eilaria? Who are you really?"

"I have been watching you." The girl's tone was hard and cold. "I have known your true identity since you arrived at Arendelle. I watched as you boarded the Despondency at one to talk with your fiancé, Hans. I watched as you arrived here."

"Who are you?" demanded Raphaela forcefully. The bundle fell out of her hand and fell to the floor, scattering items right and left.

The woman violently pulled back her servant's cap. A bolt of lightning flashed outside the window, and Raphaela could see, in the light that it provided, a proud face much older than it first appeared, weary from years of travel. It was framed by a long mane of magnificent red hair, which never would stay tamed, no matter how well it was brushed.

"Recognize me now, Raphaela?" spat the woman. "It is I, Lia. The rightful heir of Arrestonia."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello everybody! Heads-up: this chapter has possible violence in it. If you count getting hit with a frying pan Rapunzel-style as violence. **

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of Frozen. I know, it's tragic. But it's true. :(**

**I would also like to point or the fact that I do not intend any plagiarism. If I do accidentally plagiarize someone else's fanfic in this chapter or any other, I apologize right now. **

**On with the story- read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 12

A Feud Among Sisters

"Lia?" Raphaela sputtered. "My sister? But why-how?!"

Thunder boomed outside. The glass in the windows rattled.

Lia smiled, and again shook her long red hair out.

"But why did you stay at Arendelle?" queried Raphaela. "You could have been the queen, and had all the riches and power you wanted in Arrestonia."

The fury in Lia's gray eyes dimmed slightly.

"I love it here in Arendelle- and I am happier here being a lowly laundress than I ever would be in Arrestonia. Queen Elsa and her sister Anna are the most kind and loving people I have ever known, and the snowman, Olaf, whose disappearance I suspect has something to do with you, was always very friendly. Even the other servants are full of joy here.

"I never liked being the queen, at Arrestonia- too stuffy and legal for all that. Besides, I feel our parents had always neglected me somewhat- as when they went on the trip exactly twenty years ago, across land. They were assaulted, Raphaela. You know this as well as I do. They were killed, by some bandit lying along the road. I was ten- and you, my sister, were four.

"You don't remember them much, do you?" sneered Lia. "Is that why you always hated me? If so, let me assure you the feeling was not mutual- until now."

Lia whipped a dagger from under her cloak and held it against Raphaela's throat.

"I know everything about this plan of yours," she snarled. "Every last bit. You will leave Arendelle right now, and never, ever come back, unless you would like to be reported and thrown into the dungeons. I love Arendelle as my own kingdom, and my sister or not, I will stop at nothing to protect Arendelle. Even if means your death."

Raphaela, in turn, gritted her teeth. This was her chance to take over another kingdom, and she didn't intend to lose it.

A clap of thunder made both sisters jump. Lia dropped the dagger. Raphaela, seeing her chance, sprinted away without bothering to

pick up any of the dropped supplies.

Lia snarled and picked up the dagger again. She raced after her sister.

Raphaela was fast, but Lia was six years older than her sister, with longer legs, and years of training away from home had developed her reflexes.

It was a strange sight- a tall redheaded laundress wielding a knife chasing a dark-haired servant in a ripped blue dress running and screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Eilaria! Liesel! What is the meaning of this?"

Both the girls turned, mortified. They had run into the throne room.

Elsa sat, crownless, looking at the pair in consternation. Anna sat beside her, obviously relieved to have something besides the meeting going on. And the Baron of Alephirria stood in front of them, his jaw open so wide Raphaela was sure it was dislocated.

"Qu-Qu-Queen R-Raphaela!" sputtered the Baron. "What are you doing here?"

Raphaela was speechless. She stood there, mouth opening and closing over and over again.

"Well?" demanded Elsa.

Lia and Raphaela both started talking at once.

Elsa sighed. "Never mind! Baron, do you confirm that Liesel here is actually Queen Raphaela of Arrestonia?"

"That one in the blue dress? Yes? That's her," confirmed the Baron.

"Raphaela," said the queen sternly, "I think you have some explaining to do."

Raphaela was sure it was all over. But then someone barged into the throne room, followed by thirty armed Arrestonian soldiers.

It was Hans. Raphaela had never been so happy to see him in her life.

"Soldiers?" Hans laughed. "Arrest everyone in this castle except for Queen Raphaela here."

All hell broke loose.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello Readers! I'd like to point out early that this chapter is slightly dark and grim in tone. Of course, they're in a dungeon. That's to be expected.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Except for the cute little girl in this chapter. She's all mine!**

**Here's the chapter. Read, enjoy, and please review if you can!**

Chapter 13

Captives

Margarette skipped along the path to meet her little playmate. Suddenly noticing a piece of paper tacked to a post, the little girl walked over and read it.

MISSING, it read. OLAF THE SNOWMAN. ANYBODY WHO HAS A CLUE TO HIS WHEREABOUTS COME TO THE PALACE TODAY. 100 FRANCS REWARD.

Looking at the paper with new interest, the girl Margarette remembered the snowman she had seen kidnapped the other day. She turned around and ran straight towards the palace.

As she neared the palace gates, she saw with surprise that no guards were there.

Margarette pushed the tall gates open and skipped inside. She had been inside the palace shortly before, at the Princess Anna's birthday celebration.

There were loud screams and shouts coming from the main room directly in front of her. Curious, Margarette went towards the door when she saw two fully armed soldiers rushing towards her.

"She's just a kid," said one in disgust, stopping to examine her.

The second soldier shrugged. "Too bad for her. Queen Raphaela's orders."

Before Margarette knew what was happening, she was bound hand and foot. She started to scream, but the first soldier stuffed a dirty cloth in her mouth.

The second soldier opened the door of the throne room. Margarette was horrified by what she saw. Queen Elsa was circling around the floor, hands raised protectively in front of her. Princess Anna and a redheaded servant were tied in much the same way as Margarette herself. Various other servants were being led into the room, bound fast as well. A short man in fancy clothes and a mustache was bound and gagged too, obviously very angry.

The soldier tossed Margarette onto the ground next to Princess Anna. The princess, who had worked the gag from her mouth, gasped in horror.

"Oh, you poor little thing!" she exclaimed. "How could they be so heartless?"

A soldier nearby restuffed the cloth in the princess's mouth, but Margarette was comforted nonetheless.

Queen Elsa circled round, as if in an arena. Occasionally she would shoot an ice blast at a soldier. Margarette had heard of the queen's ice powers before, but she had never seen them in action.

A soldier leapt at Elsa, who shot a blast of ice at him. The soldier fell back, and another attacked the queen.

Elsa was doing an amazingly good job of defending, and she didn't seem to be tiring anytime soon. Margarette found herself silently rooting for the young queen.

One of the soldiers crept behind Elsa, holding a large frying pan.

"Elsa! Behind you!" frantically screamed the princess, who had gotten rid of the gag again.

Elsa turned around, but too late. The soldier brought down the pan on her head with a nauseating thwock.

"NO!" screamed Anna. "Elsa!"

Hans, still watching from the sidelines with Raphaela, smirked. "Take them all to the dungeons," he ordered. "And close the gates."

His orders were carried out quickly. Everyone was transported downstairs to the dungeons, where two or more prisoners were thrown in each cell and untied.

Margarette was tossed in the cell with the queen and the redheaded servant, to her astonishment.

After the guards had clamored away, it became very silent in the dungeons. Margarette began to cry softly.

"Help,"she sobbed. "Anyone. Please."

* * *

Elsa slowly regained consciousness in the corner of a prison cell. Her head hurt terribly. When she reached up to feel the bump, her fingers came away with blood on them.

She sat up to examine her surroundings in the light of the dungeon torch. In one corner, a little girl no more than six was sleeping. The bloody scratches and bruises on her arms and legs rent Elsa's heart. In the other corner sat an awake woman who was older than Elsa- about thirty, she guessed. Her long red hair was disheveled, and Elsa recognized who she was at once.

"Eilaria," said Elsa. "Or is that really your name?"

Her tone was a little colder than she had intended. Eilaria chuckled nevertheless.

"It is not, as a matter of fact," said the woman. "My name is Lia. I am the rightful heir of Arrestonia."

Elsa sat in silence for a moment. Then something clicked in her memory.

"I remember now," she said, somehow unsurprised by Lia's statement. "You're Raphaela's older sister, aren't you?"

Lia nodded. "I am. I also- ooh!"

She doubled over in pain and clutched her midsection.

"Are you hurt?" Elsa asked worriedly.

"Not much," said Lia. "Just a mild cut on my-aah!"

Her hand had blood on it when she pulled it away.

"You're hurt," concluded Elsa. "Here, let me help you."

Elsa pulled up the bottom of Lia's dress bodice and tried not to look as worried as she felt. There was a large gash on Lia's midsection, still bleeding.

Elsa tore a strip off of her gown's hem and bound up the wound as best she could. She had no healing herbs or medicines, or even a disinfectant, but it would have to do. They were prisoners in their own home.

"Anna?" Elsa called loudly. "Can you hear me? Are you hurt?"

"Elsa?" It was Anna's voice, coming from an adjacent cell. "I'm all right, a few scratches on my arms, but other than that fine. How about you?"

"My head hurts a lot," Elsa answered truthfully, "but I'll live. We'll be fine- and get out of this fix somehow."

Anna was silent, and Elsa turned her attention back to her cellmates.

The little girl began to stir slightly. Upon waking, she glanced at their surroundings and began to cry again.

"There, there, don't be sad," Elsa sad kindly. "What's your name?"

"Margarette," the girl said softly. She had light brown hair and pink cheeks. Her eyes were as clear gray as Lia's were.

"That's a pretty name," Elsa said, in hopes of raising the little girl's spirits. "And how old are you?"

"Six," said Margarette. "But I'll be seven in two weeks," she added proudly.

Elsa nodded. "That's a very grown-up age," she remarked. "I bet you are a big help to your parents."

Margarette looked crestfallen again. Elsa could tell she had said the wrong thing.

"Don't be worried," Elsa said. "We'll get you back home soon."

The girl couldn't have been more worried than Elsa was at the moment. Given by the lack of light from the tiny window, up high, it was probably the middle of the night.

"Say, Margarette," Elsa inquired, "what were you doing in the palace that caused you to be caught?"

"Nothing," Margarette said. "I saw a paper outside telling about the snowman I saw kidnapped, and-"

"Hold on," said Elsa. "Tell me about the snowman that was kidnapped."

Margarette did willingly, not leaving out the part where the man in the cloak took the snowman away in a boat.

Elsa shook her head in amazement. "Poor Olaf," she said. "No wonder he disappeared. He was taken."

Margarette yawned.

"You'd better get some sleep, my friend, like out friend Lia here," she said. "There's not much else we can do."

Elsa made herself as comfortable as she could in the corner of the cell.

"Pretty off day today," she muttered to herself as she closed her eyes.

"Hardly," said Lia, who was awake after all.

Elsa chuckled, and then fell asleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello again, readers! Thank you for sticking with me this far. The scene is still set in the dungeons, however, the part where Margarette does her little insult thing to Raphaela always makes me laugh. I love getting to make my own character. :P**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing/no one except for Margarette. She's fun to write about. **

**Enjoy the story!**

Chapter 14

A Day in the Dungeons

Raphaela woke up in good spirits. After all, why shouldn't she have? The royal Arendellians were in the dungeons, along with all their guards and servants. She, Hans and their soldiers were free to go around the castle.

Raphaela prepared herself for the day and went down to the kitchens. There were pantries full of delicacies. Raphaela and Hans, who caught up with her, helped themselves. There was so much to see and do around the castle that they didn't remember the prisoners until after twelve noon.

"I suppose we should bring the prisoners some food," Raphaela said. She was fine with having them locked up and all, but starving them to death was a different matter.

Hans grudgingly agreed, and the two grabbed several loaves of bread and pitchers of water. Raphaela sliced the bread, and after Hans picked up the keys to the jail, the two went down to the dungeons.

In the first several cells were servants and guards, who hungrily snatched up the food and drink that Raphaela provided. After Hans had relocked their cells, they moved onto the next section.

In the next cell was Gerda, Princess Anna, and the Head Seamstress. Hans unlocked the door and Raphaela tossed in three slices of bread and a bowl of water.

"Enjoy your meal," Hans sneered, laughing at the look the princess gave him. Raphaela didn't know how he could laugh at it- Anna looked as if she wanted to roast him alive.

The cell next to that one was unlocked, and Raphaela saw who it contained- the queen, a little girl, and Lia. Raphaela took pleasure in the stains on their clothes.

After throwing in the food and water, Raphaela turned to leave, dubiously watching Elsa for any sudden moves. Before she had time to react, the girl stood and kicked Raphaela in the shins.

"You're mean," said the little girl, glaring at Raphaela with furious gray eyes.

"Margarette," warned Elsa.

Margarette ignored the queen. "You're mean and not nice and your eyes are weird and you're...fat!"she said triumphantly.

Raphaela gasped in horror.

Hans slammed the door shut.

Raphaela could hear Elsa and Lia's muffled laughter as she stalked away, her head held high.

When they reached the staircase, she whirled on Hans, her black braid swinging ominously.

"You're not laughing too, are you?"

"Of course not, sweetheart," said Hans. "You mustn't pay any attention. None of that was true."

But as they climbed the staircase, Raphaela was sure she could hear him chuckling under his breath.

* * *

Elsa groaned. She felt terrible- her head hurt and she was chained to the wall, so her ankles were chafed. Fortunately, her wrists had not been secured, so she could do everything except walk.

The dungeons were awful- they were smelly and had a constant sense of doom. The only upside was that it was cold in the dungeons- a plus for Elsa, not so much for everyone else.

Feeling rather grubby, or perhaps just because she was bored and wanted to show Margarette a trick, Elsa raised her arms and formed a magical ice dress for herself: a handy trick. Instant change of clothing whenever needed.

Margarette watched in awe as the magical ice crept up the hem of Elsa's tattered blue gown and onto the waist. The ice completed the front and sides of the dress before filling in the sleeves. Elsa left out the train and cape this time- too many places for them to get snagged on.

Margarette bounced up and down in excitement. She reminded Elsa of little Anna more each time. Because she had been too little to fit in any of the manacles or chains, she hadn't been chained up when she was brought in the cell.

Lia watched Margarette for a moment in silence. The former Queen was still eating her bread.

"Can I take a nap, Queen Elsa?" asked Margarette. "I feel tired."

"Of course," said Elsa, smiling at her. "It's late afternoon. You can sleep all you like."

Margarette lay down on the musty straw in her corner. She lay still for so long that Elsa was sure she was sleeping, but then Margarette cracked open an eyelid and asked, "Do you think my parents miss me?"

Elsa was taken by surprise. "I'm sure they do, Margarette. They must miss you horribly."

Margarette's little face filled with sadness. "I hope they know I miss them too."

Elsa's heart went out to Margarette.

"It's all right," she said. "We'll get you back to your parents soon."

Comforted slightly, within moments the girl was snoring quietly.

"It's not right," said Lia.

"Huh?"

"It's not right," Lia said again, "to keep a little girl like her cooped up in a prison."

Elsa silently agreed. Margarette had so much potential- as a matter of fact, they all did. However, even the optimist that she was, Elsa had to admit their situation looked pretty bleak.

The hours slipped by, and eventually Elsa and even Lia slipped into the land of slumber.

* * *

Not too far away from the palace, a man and a woman searched for their missing daughter untiringly.

"Margarette, where are you? Margarette!"

As storm clouds gathered on the night horizon and covered the moon, the missing girl herself slept on.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello, Readers! Sorry for the delay the last few days. Fifteen chapters- halfway done! Yay!**

**This chapter was fun to write. Elsa has a flashback to her childhood, fifteen years earlier.**

**I just discovered something that made my fanfiction life a thousand times easier: I can publish chapters from my iPhone using the Copy N Paste function! Woohoo!**

**I hope to publish at least three chapters a week, if not four. Finals will be over soon, and then I can start getting into a daily rhythm. Hooray for summer!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from Frozen, sadly. So tragic. However, my OC, Margarette, is always there to comfort me. XD**

**Read, review, and Chapter 16 should be out tomorrow!**

Chapter 15  
The Trapdoor

Elsa woke up to the sound of rain. It was the second morning of their imprisonment, and the lack of sun coming through the window simply made the dungeon even more dark and depressing.

Margarette was already awake. Her light brown hair was in a rat's nest, but Elsa didn't have a comb (or, for that matter, clothes or a toothbrush).

"I'm hungry," said the girl. "We haven't had anything to eat since last afternoon when those mean people came to give us bread."

"I'm hungry too," said Elsa, "but unfortunately, we don't get to decide when we're going to eat."

As a matter of fact, it was nearly noon before a soldier tossed a pitcher of water, a loaf of bread, and beans. Apparently Raphaela herself couldn't be bothered (or Margarette had humiliated her enough to stay away).

Lia took her share quietly. Elsa studied the former queen curiously. There was a solemn somberness around her, and she rarely ever spoke. Her reddish hair was almost brown from all the prison grime in it. Elsa wondered if her wound was having part in her silence.

Margarette, for her part, was entertaining herself by jumping up and down on specific pieces of straw. Earlier she had found an ant carrying away bread crumbs and had watched it for hours on end. Elsa marveled at the simple joys the girl found in the plainest of things.

"Left, and right, and left," chanted Margarette gaily, hopping from one foot to the other. "Right, and left, and...eep!"

Quite unexpectedly, the floor collapsed right underneath her foot. Margarette stood there, dumbfounded, with Elsa and Lia looking on in bewilderment.

Margarette's little foot had fallen through the floor, up to her knee.

But prison floors are made of stone, Elsa thought. That's not possible.

As Margarette pulled her leg out of the hole and examined it closely, Elsa could see that it really wasn't stone, but wood- stained to the exact hue of the stone around it.

"Wait a minute," said Elsa. "Why is there wood in the floor-"

Lia, who was closest, leaned forwards. Brushing hay away from around it, she pulled the splinters away from the hole's edge and reached her hand into it, as far as she could go. She pulled her arm back up again a moment later.

"I can't feel the end," Lia said. "It's a tunnel of some sort."

Margarette helped Lia brush the hay away, and soon the two found the outline of a square, with Margarette's foot hole in the exact center.

"Here!" Margarette found a rusty handle so worn Elsa had assumed it was a piece of twig.

Margarette yanked on the handle, and Elsa ducked as dirt clods flew all over.

Elsa leaned forward in anticipation as they all peered down the trapdoor on the cell. What was a trapdoor doing in the dungeons?

Suddenly, she gasped and sat bolt upright as a memory came back at her. Something she hadn't heard, or even thought about, for fifteen years.

_Elsa, six years old, snuggled under her covers. Three-year-old Annå was also in bed, just opposite of Elsa. _

_Their father came in to tuck them in bed. Even though he was the king, he always found time to spend with his little daughters. _

_He wrapped the covers around each girl and turned to leave. _

_"Wait, Papa!" cried Anna. "You haven't told us a bedtime story yet."_

_Their father turned, looking at them sternly. However, both girls could see the laughter in his eyes. _

_"You think you need a story, eh?" he said. _

_"Yes, Papa, yes!" exclaimed both girls. "Do tell us a bedtime story!" _

_"I digress," said the king jokingly, sitting down on a chair near their beds. "Which one would you like to hear? The story of Caspuccio, the famous bandit?"_

_Anna shook her head vehemently. _

_"All right then, how about the story of Gribald the Troll and his search to find treasure?"_

_"No, Papa," said Elsa. "We want to hear a new story. One that we've never heard before."_

_"A new story! I think I can handle that. How about the legend of your great-great-grandfather and the palace he built?"_

_"Oh, yes!" said the girls. "Tell us the story!" _

_"All right," said the king, stroking his beard. Here goes."_

"Three hundred years ago , a man and his wife set sail. Who knows from where? It's a great mystery. Anyhow, they came up to an island eventually. They had been sailing for many days, and were tired. So they landed at the island, and found it very prosperous indeed. One small part of it was rich in snow and ice, all year round. The other parts were full of vegetation and minerals. So they founded a city there- and named it Arendelle.

Arendelle was prosperous- and many settlers from different lands came to live there. The man and woman who had first arrived there were made the king and queen of Arendelle, and they immediately began to establish a strong community. They built houses and buildings and walls- and when their subjects' lives were comfortable, they decided to build a palace.

It took three years to build that palace- the very one we are in at this moment. And when it was done, it was beautiful and perfect- almost.

Every good city should have a jail of some sort, they decided. So they dug underneath of the palace and created a dungeon there. But-"

_The king stopped suddenly and looked at his small daughters, eagerly listening. _

_"Go on, Papa!" begged Anna. "We want to hear the rest!"_

_So the king continued. _

"The dungeon was built strong and with stone- virtually indestructible. But – the king made one part in it weak- he always loved a good loophole. There was a little wooden trapdoor- hidden in the stone of one cell almost imperceptibly. Only someone with the sharpest eyes would notice it. Anyhow, this trapdoor led to a small dirt tunnel- only big enough for a child. No one knows where the trapdoor led.

_And that," said the King of Arendelle, folding his hands together, "is how Arendelle was founded and this palace built."_

_ "Is that really true, Papa?" Elsa had asked. "The king built a trapdoor in the cell?" _

_The king shrugged. "Who knows? It's just a legend. That king had children, who had children, who had children, so on until they had me, who married your mother and had you two!"_

_He kissed each of his daughters good night. _

_"Good night, Elsa. Good night, Anna."_

_The bedroom door clicked shut, leaving the two girls with their thoughts. _

All this came back to Elsa, Queen of Arendelle as she sat with her friends in that very cell with the trapdoor.

A smile crept up Elsa's face as she envisioned all of the possibilities.

"Friends, she said, "we may have a way out of this fix."


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello! Sorry for the three-day delay- I've had really bad writer's block even though I have the outline already. Anyway, you get to see what's happening to Olaf in this chapter, and what's inside the tunnel. Enjoy, and please review if you have the time! Thank You!**

**Also- this week is finals week. I won't be posting any chapters for about a week. JSYK. :-)**

Chapter 16

In the Tunnel

Olaf the Snowman had no clue whatsoever what was happening around him. He had been in the wooden chest for three days now. The chest had obviously been taken of the ship- but now it was in a heavily trafficked area. Olaf didn't know where, but he wanted out of the chest. He was missing one of his arms still, and he was bored to death.

After a while, he heard the soldiers trudging around, evidently looking for something.

"Maybe it's in here," said one soldier, reluctantly stumbling over to the chest.

Olaf stood up as straight as he could. When the man opened the chest, he launched himself over the edge and took off running as fast as he could.

"Hey, get back here," ordered the guard by the door. Olaf ignored him and continued to run.

The soldiers chased him through the halls. Olaf turned a corner and stopped suddenly.

He was at a dead end.

Turning around, he saw the soldiers closing in on him. Any second now, and he'd be put back in the chest, or worse- smashed.

* * *

"I'll do it!" Margarette said vehemently. "This place is boring. What's down there?"

"That's the point," Elsa said. "We don't know what's down there, or if the tunnel even leads someplace."

"It could be dangerous," Lia warned. "There might be a weak point and you could hurt yourself. No one could fit down there to come help you."

"I'll do it," Margarette repeated. "It might help us get out of here."

She dangled her legs over the side of the trapdoor's opening, and before Elsa or Lia could stop her, she jumped into the hole.

"Margarette?" Elsa asked nervously after a second. "Are you alright down there?"

For a long, terrifying moment there was no reply. Then the girl called back up, "Yep. It's dirt floor down here."

Margarette stood up, and to Elsa's relief, her head poked out of the hole.

"It's not that deep," she said, "but the tunnel is small."

Just then they heard footsteps. Time for a meal.

In a panic, the former Queens worked together to pull Margarette out of the hole, slam the trapdoor shut, and place Margarette back on top of it. Nothing would be worse than having their only hope of escape discovered.

Before long, the door was opened. A bowl of water and a pitcher of soup were tossed in, and the door was shut.

After hastily eating, the three were opening the trapdoor when they heard a scuffle at the end of the dungeon hallway. There was a yell, a call for help from one of the soldiers, and then rapid footsteps from someone who rushed up the stairs.

Suddenly the whole dungeon was in a hubbub. Soldiers tramped down the stairs. Someone was yelling. After it had all quieted down, Elsa could hear snatches of conversation from outside the cell.

"…escaped, without anyone else…"

"…took a sword from me…"

"…blasted Baron, I knew he was trouble…"

"The Baron of Alephirria must have escaped," whispered Lia.

Margarette, uninterested in anything besides the trapdoor, jumped down into the hole again. Elsa handed her the cell's torch so she could see

"Be careful," Elsa called as the girl began to crawl through the narrow tunnel. "Especially with the fire."

"I will," came the muffled reply. "Besides, you sound like my mother."

Down in the tunnel, Margarette crawled on her hands and knees, coughing from the dust. Well, actually she crawled on a hand and her knees. One hand held the torch, which illuminated the dirt tunnel. She could hear Elsa perfectly, for some reason. The tunnel reverberated quite well.

She crawled along for a while, as the tunnel continued to slope downwards. After a while she came to where the tunnel split. One end went up and the other went down.

Taking the left one, which went up, she called back to Elsa that yes, she was fine, and continued to travel upwards.

To her surprise, as the tunnel continued, she could hear noises. Soldiers were walking heavily nearby, obviously chasing someone or someone.

Margarette came to a part of the tunnel which stopped abruptly. There was a small trapdoor above her head. Was this where the tunnel led?

The tramp of the soldiers above her became more pronounced. They were getting closer, wherever they were.

"Margarette?" Elsa's voice traveled through the long tunnel.

"I'm fine," she called back. "I found a trapdoor above me."

She cautiously leaned the torch against the tunnel wall and pushed up on the trapdoor with both hands.

It didn't budge.

Trying again, the girl put her back against it and attempted to stand up straight.

Again, nothing happened.

Turning around, she examined the trapdoor. Now she could see how silly she had been. There was a handle on one side– the trapdoor pulled down, not pushed up!

The soldiers' footsteps and yelling was unmistakably loud now. They were almost directly above.

"Get the snowman!" one yelled.

As Margarette pulled on the handle, the trapdoor flew downwards. Dirt sprayed everywhere, extinguishing the torch.

And something, or someone, rather– fell on top of Margarette. Someone very small and made of snow.

"Hello!" Olaf said. "Do you need a warm hug?"


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello Everybody! So sorry for the delay. Finals are completely over now. Summer for me has officially begun. I'll do my best to keep the updating steady.**

**Anyway, thanks for bothering to read this far! I've had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you like reading it.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of Frozen. All of it belongs to the Walt Disney Animation team.**

**Lastly, to the three reviewers I've had, thanks so much! You guys' friendly reviews really made my day. :D**

Chapter 17

Further Explorations

It was noon on the second day of their imprisonment. Princess Anna was not feeling like a princess at all. Her clothes were in tatters, and she was sure her hair was in a rat's nest. On top of all that, the Head Seamstress, also in the cell with Anna and Gerda, was not helping matters.

"I just knew it," she bawled. "This whole thing is a bad omen! Bad, I tell you! We'll all be thrown into the sea to drown!"

The Head Seamstress was a plump, middle-aged woman who had graying brown hair. She was not at all happy about their situation- as may have been expected, but Anna was quickly growing weary of the woman's constant complaints and warnings of "bad omens".

Closing her ears to the Seamstress's declarations, Anna turned around as best she could and used her hands (fortunately unchained) to cover her ears. Gerda, looking equally exasperated, did so as well, but with more subtlety so as not to appear rude.

Anna wondered how Elsa was feeling, in the cell adjacent. She didn't dare to call over, though, because a guard was making his rounds near their cell.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the underground tunnel, Margarette scrambled to her feet.

Olaf stood up behind her. He was shorter than she was, and he had no trouble whatsoever standing up straight.

The trapdoor had flown shut by itself- Margarette guessed that it was on a spring.

"What are you staring at?" inquired Olaf indignantly. "Haven't you ever seen a talking snowman before?"

"I guess not," said Margarette. "And it's too dark in here to see you. Weren't you…kidnapped?"

"I think so," said Olaf, and for the first time Margarette realized that one of his arms was missing.

"What happened to your arm?" she asked.

The snowman shrugged (which looked quite strange; given he only had one shoulder).

"I don't know," he replied. "It must have fallen off when Hans kidnapped me."

Just then Margarette heard Elsa's voice wafting through the tunnel.

"Margarette?…Who are you talking to?…Are you all right?"

"I'm alright, Queen Elsa," Margarette called back. "I found a talking snowman above the trapdoor."

"Elsa?" Olaf called. "What are you doing down here?"

There was no reply for several seconds, and then Margarette heard Elsa's panicked whispers.

"Margarette! Come back! And bring Olaf! Someone's coming!"

Margarette gasped, and began to run back through the tunnel as fast as she could. Olaf followed her.

It was pitch black in the tunnel since the torch had gone out, and Margarette stumbled many times.

"Hurry!" Lia's voice whispered desperately. "They're almost at out cell!"

Margarette ran as fast as one possibly could in a dark dirt tunnel. She could see a bit of light up ahead. The trapdoor was propped slightly open so she could see the way.

Her arms and legs scrambling desperately, Margarette moved forwards on her hands and knees. Olaf rushed up behind her.

The trapdoor was a mere few yards away when the girl's foot caught in something and she tumbled head over heels, striking her head on the tunnel's hard dirt floor.

Margarette's last perceptions were the trapdoor's light just up above her and the sound of keys in the cell's lock.

Then she blacked out.


	18. Chapter 18

**Dear everyone who is reading this even though I haven't published in three weeks: THANK YOU! That's all I can say... shortly after I published my last chapter, I was in an accident and broke my arm. I was unable to type for a while, but I finally have this chapter out. Thank you for your support! I plan to release at least one more chapter this week.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of Frozen. All rights belong to the Walt Disney animation team.**

**Chapter 18**

**A Close Call**

The keys were rattling in the lock. In a panic, Elsa grabbed the only remaining torch off the wall and thrust it into the trapdoor opening.

There Margarette lay, unmoving, a yard or two away from the opening. Olaf stood behind her, desperately trying to push her forwards.

The tunnel, opening into the small flat place below the trapdoor entrance, was big enough for Lia or herself to fit through, Elsa decided. At least for a short distance. Unfortunately, her ankles were still chained to the cell wall and she had no way of escaping. Lia was similarly bound. There was nothing either of them could do.

Elsa could hear the guard outside cursing under his breath as he fiddled with the keys in the lock. Thank goodness for that, at least.

Shutting the trapdoor quietly, Elsa replaced the straw on top and leaned back to her place just as the door was flung open.

The guard, who held their midday meal on a tray, was not familiar to Elsa. He had never brought them their meals before, and therefore did not know that there were three in the cell. Elsa felt like cheering, but to do so just then would have been very impractical.

However, the man blinked in confusion as he held out the tray.

"There are three meals here," he stated gruffly. "Where's the third prisoner?"

"There is no third prisoner, sir," Elsa said as reasonably as she could. "There must have been some mistake."

"But we'll take the third dinner, sir," Lia put in eagerly. Elsa was impressed by her acting skills. "If you don't need it for anyone."

The guard's face hardened. "One dinner per prisoner. I will talk to my superiors about the mistake."

He threw in two of the three meals and slammed the cell door shut, locking it before walking away.

After making sure that he had truly gone, Elsa assisted Lia in re opening the trapdoor.

By the light of the torch, they could make out Margarette, who was still unconscious, and Olaf, who had succeeded in dragging the poor girl directly beneath the opening.

"Elsa!" exclaimed the snowman happily. "What are you doing in this dungeon?"

"The question is 'Why are you, a snowman, in a secret tunnel and how did you get there?' ," Elsa said, smiling grimly. "For now, will you help us to get our poor friend out of the tunnel and back in here?"

With the help of Olaf pushing from below, the two women managed to get Margarette out and lay her flat on the cell floor. Next they pulled Olaf out.

"So, Olaf," said Elsa, "where have you been for the last week? We've all been worried sick."

The snowman sat on the dirty cell floor, innocently twiddling his stick thumbs as his flurry continued to snow on him. For the next half an hour, he captivated Elsa and Lia with his story of being kidnapped by an evil man with glowing red eyes. Olaf recounted being chained in a dungeon as bonfires were being lit around him, and told his audience about his escape from the fiery dungeons as flames engulfed the atmosphere. He then retold how he was caught and suspended above a tub of boiling lava. Olaf told them about how he was just about to be burnt when the rope tying him exploded and he was launched onto a cliff, which caved in.

"Then," he said, "as I was falling down into the dark abyss, I landed on a trapdoor, which opened. The girl was down there. And that," said the snowman, dramatically waving his stick arms around, "is how I ended up in the tunnel."

Elsa eyed the snowman skeptically.

Olaf sighed. "The real story is so much more boring…someone grabbed me and stuck me in a chest, where I sat for days and days until I was able to escape…and then as I was running from the soldiers, I fell into a trapdoor and met the girl. End of story."

Footsteps outside jarred all three of them back to reality. Elsa quietly convinced Olaf it would be safer for all of them if he stayed in the tunnel, under the trapdoor, out of sight.

After the snowman reluctantly jumped into the trapdoor opening, Lia shut the trapdoor and Elsa replaced Margarette, still unconscious, on top of it.

The cell door was opened quite suddenly. A soldier, the one who usually brought the meals, stood outside.

"The meal patrol today reported there were only two in this cell earlier," he barked. "Is this true?"

His eyes took in their surroundings, from Margarette (who thankfully appeared to be sleeping) to Lia to Elsa to Margarette again.

"He says there was no girl here," the soldier repeated. "Was she here?"

"Of course, sir," Elsa replied, trying to keep her face emotionless. "He only gave us two dinners. Said 'one dinner per prisoner' and left."

Lia nodded assent.

The guard looked exasperated. Slamming the door and locking it, he stalked away in a huff.

As soon as he had left, Elsa giggled. She couldn't help herself. She didn't know why she was laughing- there was nothing funny about their situation currently. She laughed anyways. Lia joined her, and careful not to be so loud as to be heard, the two former Queens silently shook with laughter.

After a moment, Elsa stopped giggling and wiped her eyes on her ice sleeve. The time was getting late, and they both were tired.

Margarette was still unconscious. Or maybe she was conscious, only sleeping. Elsa hoped it was the former. The girl must have really hit her head hard in order to be out cold for so long.

Yawning, Elsa exchanged a good-night with Lia and fell asleep- for her fourth night in the dungeons.


End file.
